Compartment door latch



E. N. JACOBI .COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH March 9, 1943.

Original Filed Aug. 5,1940

.5 dwaru N. Jcmubz Patented Mar. 9,1943

COMPARTMENT nooa LATCH Edward N. Jacobi, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor toBriggs & Stratton Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ofDelaware Original application August 3, 1940, Serial No.

350,499. Divided and this application February 12, 1942, Serial No.430,542

7 Claims.

'I'hisinvention, like that shown in the. copending application of EdwardN. Jacobi, Serial No. 350,499, filed August 3, 1940, of which this is adivision, relates toautomobile glove compartment door latches of thetype wherein retraction of the latch bolt is effected by depression of apush button-like actuator and wherein key controlled means operates toblock such depression of the actuator and thus lock the compartment doorclosed.

Inasmuch as security against breaking into the compartment depends to alarge extent upon the manner in which the latch device is mounted, thepresent invention has as one of its objects, the provision of a latchdevice so constructed that its attachment to its support must be eifectefrom the inside of the compartment so that unless the doo is open noaccess can be had to the attaching means.

With a view toward insuring rigidity in its mounting, it is a furtherobject of this invention to provide a novel manner of mounting the latchdevice whereby a portion of its body projecting through a hole in theinstrument board panel cooperates with a screw securedconnection'bestood that such changes in the precise embodi ment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmode so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through part of an automobile instrumentboard and glove compartment illustrating the application of thisinvention thereto and showing the latch bolt in its operative position;

Figure 2 is a rear end view of the latch device per se; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view thereof. Referring now particularly tothe accompanying drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts,the numeral 5 designates the instrument board panel of an automobile orthe like,

behind which a .glove compartment is located,

only part of the roof 6 of the compartment being shown.

The open front of the compartment is adapted to be closed by a door Ihinged at its bottom to swing toward and from a closed positionillustrated in Figure 1, where it is secured by the bolt 8 of a latchdevice, indicated generally by the numeral 9.

The latch device 9 is conveniently mounted in the angular space behindthe instrument board panel and above the roof of the glove compartmentin a position such that the cylindrical front end portion ID of its bodyl0 projects through a hole in the instrument board panel. For thispurpose the body H) has a mounting bracket H which is seated on the roof6 of the compartment where it is secured by screws l2 passed upwardlythrough the roof and threaded into tapped holes in laterally projectingbosses 13. This manner of mounting the latch device provides maximumprotection against breaking into the compartment by loosening the latchunit, inasmuch as access to the attaching screws may be had only whenthe compartment door is open. Attention is also directed to the factthat the projection of the front end portion ID of the latch bodythrough a hole in the instrument board panel coacts with the screws [2to locate the latch device and hold it securely in place.

For the sake of appearance, the projecting front end portion [0 of thebody is covered by a bezel 22 neatly finished as by plating andpolishing. The bracket 1 l is substantially channel shaped in crosssection and has the latch bolt 8 received between its flanges. The boltis in the form of a bell crank lever pivoted at its apex to the bracketas at It.

One arm of the latch bolt projects forwardly between the flanges oi thebracket and has a downwardly directed hooked end [5 to project through ahole It in the roof of the compartment and engage a keeper or striker l!on the door.

A bolt spring 18 yieldingly urges the latch bolt to its operative keeperengaging position from which it may be retracted by the inwarddepression of a push button-like actuator indicated generally by thenumeral l9. This actuator is slidably mounted in a bore 20 in the bodyso disposed that the upwardly projecting arm of the latch bolt issubstantially in line with the bore.

The actuator unit consists of a lock cylinder 5 23 rotatably mounted ina casing 24 butsecured against endwise movement therein by a cross bar25 seated in a transverse groove in the casing and engaging in anannular groove in the cylinder.

Key operable tumblers 26 of the pin type serve to hold thecylinder'against rotation in its casing except upon the insertion of aproper key 21 into the keyway of the cylinder. I

To accommodate the tumblers and their springs, the casing has asubstantially rectangular rib or ridge 28 formed thereon through whichthe tumbler bores pass, and which is slidably received in a groove 29formedin the body-in communication with its bore. The thrust of thetumbler springs is received by a stamped sheet metal cap 30 secured overthe rib or ridge-28.

The inner end of the cylinder extends beyond its casing and is reducedin diameter to form a bolt engaging pin 3| which upon inward depressionof the assembled casing and cylinder in der and casing the outer orfront end of the cylinder projects beyond the encased fronten'd portionill of the body and for the sake of good appearance, this projecting endof the cylinder is also encased in a finishing shell 32 of plated andpolished sheet metal.

By blocking depression of the actuator the latch is secured againstretraction and the compartment door is locked closed. For this pur' posethe bracket portion l l of the body has a stationary stop abutment 33positioned between the rear end of its bore and the upwardly'projectingarm of the latch bolt.

The stationary stop abutment thus liesin the path of a cam 3rotatably'mountedon the as sembled cylinder and casing to blockdepression of the actuator when the cam is in one position of rotation.In another position of rotation, substantially 180 degrees removed, thecam is ineffective to block depression of the actuator. Rotation isimparted to the cam by key propelled actuation of the'cylinder.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent that through the novelmanner of mounting the latch device in the angle formed by the roof ofthe compartment and the instrument board panel, exceptional rigidity andsecurity against forced or accidental loosening of the latch device isachieved. The securernent of' the latch device to the roof of the comparment by screws inserted from inside the compartment assures security;and the projection of the pilot formed by the front end of the'lock bodyinto a hole in the instrument board panel secures the unit against beingrocked by outward thrust on the latch bolt. In the absence of thisinsertion of the pilot into the hole such outward thrust on the latchbolt would very likely flex the relatively thin sheet metal compartmentroof and allow the entire latch device to be rocked upwardly.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a compartment door lock to be mounted on the door frame of acompartment: a lock body having an extension on its front end; a bezelring on said-extension, said bezel covered extension being positionablein a hole in the face of the door frame; a base portion on the lock bodyhaving a surface engageable with the inner face of a supporting Walldisposed at an angle to the face "of '75 --a-; bearing for the pushbutton of the lock insertable from the rear into a hole in the face ofthe "doorfr a-me; a body for the lock structure connected with saidbearing and having a mounting portion-adapted to fit against asupporting wall on the inside of the frame and at an angle to the faceof the frame; and a fastening screw adapted to pass through saidsupporting wall tapped into the mounting portion of the body tocooperatewith the bearing in mounting the lock,

3. In'a' compartment door'lo'c'k to be mounted V on the door frame of acompartment having'a roof forming an angle to the face of the frame andhaving a door mounted in the frame for movement toand from apositionclo'sing the compartment; a lock body; a pilot portion on'thelock body-adapted to fit in a' hole in the door frame above the roof ofthe compartment; a mounting portion on the body adapted to engage thetop of the roof of the compartment when the pilot portion is fitted inits hole; and a screw for passage through the roof of' the compartmentfrom inside the compartment tapped into the mount ing portion of thebody.

4. In a lock having a key controlled lock cylinder and a latch bolt-forlocking'the door of'a compartment which is disposed behind an exposedpanel in which the doorway closed by the doorof the'compartment islocated and wherein -at-lea'st one Wall of the compartmentforms ahangle=with the rear face of the exposed panel: a 'bodyforthe lock; apilot extension on the front end of the lock body i-nsertable from therear into a hole' in t'he panel; amounting bracket on the body having asurface arranged to fit againstsaid designated wall of thecompartment'when the pilot extensionis-inserted in its hole in thepanel, said bracket being so'positioned with respect'to the latch beltthat the bolt projects beyond'said surf-ace of the bracket topassthrcugha hole in said designated compartment wall for locking engagementwith the door; and fastening means ins'ei'table through said designatedwall of "the compartment-from inside the compartment and engageable-iiith the mountin-g'bracket to secure the "bracket to said compartmentwall so that the secur'ement of-the bracket cooperates withthepilot-extension when inserted in its holein the panel to mount thelock bodyin the angle between said compartment wall and the panel in amanner precluding unauthorized access to the fastening means.

5. A latch device of the character wherein'a latch bolt biased to anoperative position is retractable bydepression of apushbutton sli-d'ablymounted in a suporting body which also mounts the bolt, characterized bythe fact that: thelatch device is securable in the angle betweentwoadjacent angularly disposed Walls with the latch bolt projectablethrough a hole in one Wall and the push button accessible through a holein the other walL'byth'e projection ofa' part on the body into a hole inone 'wall and the securement "of another part of the body to the otherwall by means of an attaching member passing through said other wall andengaging the body.

6. A latch device of the character described comprising: a body; a pilotextension on the body adapted to enter ahole in a supporting wall; and abracket on the body attachable to a second supporting wall angularlydisposed with respect to the first supporting wall with the point ofattachment spaced from the pilot extension so that said attachmentcooperates with the insertion of the pilot extension in its hole tomount the latch device in the angle between the two supporting walls.

7. In a door lock for locking the entrance door of a compartment, theentrance of which is through an exposed panel which forms an angle withthe adjacent walls of the compartment: a

body for the lock carrying a latch bolt; a boss on the lock body; meansfor securing said boss to the exterior of one of said walls of thecompartment at a point spaced rearwardly of the panel and in a mannerpositioning the latch bolt for projection through a hole in said wall ofthe compartment in a direction substantiallyfparallel to the plane ofthe panel for engagement with a keeper on the door so that forcesapplied to the bolt by the door and acting at an angle) to the face ofthe door are transmitted into the lock body; and a protrusion on thelock body extending into a hole in the panel from the rearthereof tobrace the lock body and said wall of the compartment against deflectionunder forces acting on the bolt.

EDWARD N. JACOBI.

